Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, July 26, 2005

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en. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY, speaks to members and supporters of the Democratic Leadership Council Monday, July 25, 2005, in Columbus, Ohio. Clinton, a potential 2008 presidential candidate, pressed Democrats to adopt a tough stand on national security and urged the party to show a united front to counter ``the hard-right ideology in Washington.''(AP / Jay LaPrete) less

en. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY, speaks to members and supporters of the Democratic Leadership Council Monday, July 25, 2005, in Columbus, Ohio. Clinton, a potential 2008 presidential candidate, pressed ... more

The appointment solidified the identification of Clinton -- once considered a champion of the party's left -- with the centrist movement that helped propel her husband to the White House in 1992. It also continued her effort, which has accelerated in recent months, to present herself as a moderate on issues such as national security, immigration and abortion.

In her new role, Clinton immediately called for a truce between the council and liberal elements of the party, which have engaged in a war of words over the Democrats' direction since President Bush won re-election last year.

"Now, I know the DLC has taken some shots from some within our party, and that it has returned fire, too," the New York senator said at the council's annual summer meeting. "Well, I think it's high time for a cease-fire -- time for all Democrats to work together based on the fundamental values we all share."

Clinton assumed her role as head of the council's "American Dream Initiative" at a meeting that drew three other centrist Democrats considered possible 2008 contenders and highlighted the maneuvering under way for the next presidential race.

The session amounted to one of the first multicandidate "cattle calls" for the potential 2008 contenders. "I thought I was at a New Hampshire J-J dinner," joked Warner, in a reference to the Jefferson-Jackson day party dinners that are frequent platforms for Democratic presidential contenders.

Each of the potential candidates delivered campaign-style speeches that blended criticism of the Bush administration with calls for Democrats to pursue centrist policies on issues such as national defense, energy and the federal budget.

Clinton's speech was built around an elaborate portrayal of what the country might look like -- on a wide range of issues from health care to homeland security -- compared with a similar gathering that might assemble in Ohio in 15 years. Clinton envisioned a more prosperous and secure future, presumably under Democratic policies. And she charged that Bush's agenda was leading the United States away from that day.

"After more than four years of Republican control, our government has not only gone off track, it has reversed course. They turned our bridge to the 21st century into a tunnel back to the 19th century," she said, in a reference to the central metaphor of her husband's 1996 re-election campaign.

Vilsack focused on restoring a greater sense of community and shared sacrifice among citizens. Bayh emphasized the need to convince Americans that Democrats could safeguard national security, and Warner stressed the economic competition with rising nations including China and India. "The race is on for the future," he said.

People in the audience generally liked what they heard. "We are going to be able to field an A-team in 2008," said Louis Magazzu, a New Jersey Democratic official.

Despite the calls for unity from Clinton, Bayh and other speakers, the day underscored continuing divisions among Democrats about how to rebuild at a time when Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress.

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While many liberal activists insist the party's highest priority must be to block Bush's initiatives, council officials argue that Democrats would not rebound until they detail their own agenda.

"I think the nation fully understands what we are against," Vilsack said. "I think it is incumbent now to show what we are for."

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